


Hard at Work

by Hazellum



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Aw yeaah, Dib-centric angst, Roach Boi Roach Boi Roach Boi!!!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25136887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazellum/pseuds/Hazellum
Summary: Dib just has to finish this project. Then, everything can go back to normal.
Relationships: Dib and Zim enemies, Zade - Relationship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	Hard at Work

As Dib stood at his worktable in the garage, he rubbed his eyes. He was just so tired. He hadn't had time to sleep in... Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he slept. The strange thing was, as time went on, he was getting less tired.

Right after... it... had happened, Dib had just felt exhausted. He'd almost collapsed then and there, barely having the energy to make it to his bed. However, he hadn't been able to sleep. No matter how he laid, he just couldn't get comfortable. He'd even tried cutting a hole in his pillow, but it hadn't helped. What was worse was that the very  _ abstract concept _ of sleep had just seemed to slip from his mind.

Taking a sip out of the coffee he had sitting on his desk, Dib spat it right back out. It burned. Scrunching up his face, Dib just went back to working.

"Y'know, Dib-Stink, you should really just give up. There is NO way you're going to beat the amazing, awesome, POWERFUL Irken Empire!" Zim shouted, but his voice gave him away. He was worried.

"Ha! If the Empire is so untouchable, then why is your voice quavering? You're terrified!" Dib cried, laughing.

"Dib, who are you even talking to?" asked Gaz, walking into the garage with a plate of food in her hands.

"Zim!" Dib shouted, circling one hand in the air, pointer finger extended. "He's terrified! He knows I'm so close to defeating the Armada!"

"Sure, whatever. Just... Just actually eat this time, okay? Even Dad's noticed that you haven't had much of an appetite. Of course, he's just chalked it up to mourning," Gaz said, rolling her eyes, "And make sure to actually get some sleep. I'm worried about you." Finished speaking, Gaz set the plate on top of a stack of boxes and left. Before she stepped out, she paused for a second, looking back at her brother. He just seemed... broken. Sighing, she headed back to the house proper.

"Ha! Even the pathetic Dib-sister is worried about you, EarthStink! Careful your pathetic body doesn't give out on you!" Zim taunted, laughing at Dib.

"Shut up!" dib shouted, running a hand through his hair, twirling his hair scythes around one finger. Huh. They were harder than usual. Dib shrugged it off, deciding to wash his hair before the next time he went to bed. He probably needed a shower, anyway.

Turning back to his work, Dib lost all sense of time. The device was looking great, he just needed to get Tak's ship finished upgrading so it could haul the device. Just as he was about to start work on the expansion, Gaz walked back in.

"Hey, Dib, its breakfast time. Aaand you didn't eat dinner. You know what? You need a shower. Come on, you're starting to smell as bad as you did when you turned into a chair a month ago" Gaz said, moving to grab Dib by his collar. She was very nearly impaled by a Pak leg, and only her gaming reflexes saved her. Glaring at the Pak leg, Gaz pushed it to the side and left.

"Haha! No one shall touch the Earth-Stink!" Zim shouted, cackling away. "Grade-A work there, Dib-Stink."

"What. Are. You. Talking about!" Dib shouted, throwing a wrench across the room. it just bounced off the wall.

A few hours later, Dib was working on the finishing touches for Tak's ship. It had been surprisingly helpful, only grumbling about "following orders" a couple of times, whatever that meant. Ah, well. Whatever helped him destroy the Empire quicker.

A while later, Gaz walked back into the garage, hose in hand. She was even wearing her signature Gazmat suit, B.O. detector fully functional. "Alright, Dib. You stink almost as bad as that time you turned into a chair," she said, throwing a bar of soap at his head.

"No! The Dib-Sister is not allowed to spray that hose!" Zim shouted. Gaz didn't react.

"Just shut up, will you?" Dib said to Zim.

"I'm not going to shut up, you really reek," Gaz replied, turning on the spray nozzle. Before she could start spraying, Dib pounced, pinning her to the wall. With one foot, he kicked the hose back out of the garage.

"No," was all he said, before walking back to his work station.

"Dude, you're really starting to freak me out. You look  _ worse _ than when you turned into a chair three months ago, I'm going to grab a mirror" Gaz said, before pushing Dib away and walking out the door. 

Wait, three months? But just last night it had only been a month ago! Running his hand through his hair again, Dib realized that his hair was really messy, and must have a lot of split ends. His hair scythe had split, and was just... filthy. To the point of being hard and wiry.

Before he had time to process this, Gaz walked back into the garage. When she raised the mirror, Dib took a step back in horror. No, no, that... that couldn't be right.

"Th-that mirror has got to be a funhouse mirror, right?" Dib siad, his voice trembling.

"It's not, I grabbed it out of the bathroom."

"YOU LIE! LIES! YOU LIEEE!" Dib shouted. There was no way! The mirror was missing his nose, his ears, and his skin wasn't  _ green _ for heaven's sake!

"Dude, I really think that thing is messing with you," Gaz said. When Pak legs started jabbing at her rapidly, she quickly left the garage, standing just out of range.

Slamming the door, Dib turned around. "No, there's no way. I made sure. Sure, you can still talk to me, but it isn't affecting me in any other way. I made sure to modify the Pak to make sure of it."

"Dib-Stink, even Irkens require training to modify a Pak in any way. Did you think you'd succeed? How I haven't been able to take total control, I'll never know," Zim said, groaning.

"W-Well, I'll just have to finish the Zapper, then get the Pak off my head. Everything- Everything will go back to normal after that. Dad might even- Dad might even talk to me again! I-I've just got to get Tak's ship flying."

In the corner, the ship's lights flicked on. "Irken signature detected. Orders recieved. Flight initialized."

"No! I'm human! I mean, since you're working, I might as well get the Zapper attached, but... I'm human. I am. IAM!"


End file.
